So You Think You Can Dance 7/30 Recap: The Holy Trinity of Dance

Wow. Can you believe we’re down to the top six already? It seems like just yesterday when I was watching the audition rounds, laughing at Sex’s umpteenth stupid “audition” and picking my favorites from their tryout clips. But here we are. And here’s Cat, all glammed up in a gold sequined frock with a pair of Carrie Bradshaw-worthy shoes, complete with frothy pom poms at the heels. She introduces our top six dancers and guest judgie Adam Shankman, along with a very festive-looking Mary and Nigel, and announces that tonight is only an hour long. Oh, hallelujah. It only took all season!

Courtney and Mark
Viennese Waltz - Jason GilkisonThe Time of My Life by David Cook

Yeah, no way these two drew the Viennese Waltz out of a hat. Mark and Court have never really been the judge’s darlings anyway (though I love them both), so it’s painfully obvious that they were given a stinker of a style to open the show. No sexy Sambas, no pull-at-your-heartstrings contemporary. It’s a conspiracy, I tell you! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Anyhoo, choreographer Jason (from the Australian version of SYTYCD) explains to us that the Viennese Waltz is a very non-sexual dance - that doesn’t stop Mark from accidentally grazing Courtney’s boobage during practice. “Boob!” squeals Courtney as Mark gets a handful. They’re adorable. And the dance isn’t bad either. Not even close to a traditional waltz, but very graceful and easy on the eyes.

Judge Adam says Mark’s rises and falls during the waltz were probably the best of the season, and Courtney was just beautiful. The last lift wasn’t executed perfectly, but no matter, says Adam: it was a great job by the both of them. A bedazzled Mary shouts out compliments to them both. Mark looks shocked. I'm thinking they could hang Mary from the ceiling and use her as a disco ball. Nigel calls it romantic, pimps American Idol a bit (yay for a David Cook song!), and congratulates them both. Yeah, the judge's comments are pretty much useless at this point.

Courtney and Mark, round two
Jazz - Sonya TayehThe Garden by Mirah

The freaky Sonya wants this routine to be lusty, dark, and raw. I do believe she succeeded. Courtney says this is probably her favorite routine yet, and I have to agree - I loved this one. Mark got to be his crazy self, and Courtney kicked ass in a green corset and ripped thigh-high stocking. If this is jazz, I like it! Fun, quirky, and most definitely different. The music matched the routine perfectly, and I rewound to watch it several times just because it was that good.

Adam agrees with me, hollering that he loved it and it was sick. Together, you two are unbelievable, Adam says. Woo, that was crazy, raw, and interesting, says Mary. She then matches Adam’s screaming. Oy, my speakers are going to blow out one of these nights. FOX is going to owe me a new surround sound system. Nigel goes on about Mark’s uniqueness, and how they make anything that is thrown at them work. One of the highlights of the evening, says Nigel.

Solo time for Chelsie, to the tune of When I Grow Up by the Pussycat Dolls. Typical Chelsie hip swinging, leg kicking stuff with her all dolled up like the singers of this rotten song. Stick with what you’re good at, I suppose.

Twitch follows with his solo, done to Midas Touch by Midnight Starr. He does his usual hip hop, too, complete with gold sneakers, gold glasses, and gold “teeth” that Cat sticks in her mouth at Nigel’s urging, Twitch spit and all. Twitch and the audience go into hysterics as Cat does her best gangsta pose and the judges stand up and give the IV real sign. Cat is way more fun than Seacrest, that’s for sure.

Katee and Josh, back together again. With a contemporary routine. Coincidence? I think not. Joshua is a happy camper to be reunited with Katee, and Tyce has come up with a Romeo and Juliet-themed routine that plays to both of the dancer’s strengths. Boy, does it. Blue mood lighting, awesome moves. Katee does a full-on split leap into the air and Josh catches her in a dead stop in his arms. That guy’s got some serious guns on him. The only thing that ruined it for me was Celine’s awful remake of that awful song. Other than that, wow!

Adam starts off with some trivia, telling us he worked with Tyce before during the 1990 Oscars. And they were choreographed by none other than Paula Abdul, who is in the audience tonight and looking surprisingly lucid. Granted, she didn’t actually speak and ruin that perception, but....yeah. Adam tells Josh and Katee that they are two of the most exciting dancers, calling them the Holy Trinity of dance when partnered with Tyce. Well then. Filled with passion, says Mary. Phenomenal! She still sees both of them in the finale, and stands up to scream for reasons known only to Mary. More of the same from Nigel, without the screaming - absolutely brilliant, he says. Can you tell who the favorites are?

After watching their cutesy hijinks during practice, Katee and Joshua get down to business. Josh performs shirtless in a bid for more votes, and Katee is in a flowing floral gown. Very dramatic music, and a nicely performed routine. At this point, these two can do no wrong.

Adam thinks they’re making him believe the impossible, with Josh the hip hop guy slamming out a Paso Doble and Katee being her usual perfect little self. You’ll be proud of yourself when you see it on TV, he tells her, giving a big old seal clap. Mary says true magic happens onstage when Katee and Joshua are together, turning to Nigel and giving one of the loudest, longest screams she’s done yet. Nigel compliments Joshua’s stepping, and says he’s going to steal the show if he keeps it up.

Courtney performs her solo to Rock Your Soul by Elisa, a nicely done contemporary number. I don’t know why there’s not more love for Courtney. Mark does his to Bum Like You by Robyn - I just love watching him, you never know what to expect.

This isn’t the salsa, it’s the mambo, Tony and Melanie say. Not that I could tell the difference. They have a bit of a wardrobe malfunction in practice due to Twitch’s baggy pants - he isn’t too thrilled to hike them up, thinking it makes him look like a dork. The dance? Well, it was a great routine, and Chelsie knocked it out of the park. She is a ballroom dancer, after all. The girl definitely has friends in wardrobe, too. There were a few missed connections that looked to be Twitch’s fault, but overall it was good.

Adam says Chelsie was on fire, and his eyes were drawn to her in her fire red dress, but tells Twitch he was a little out of his element and could have sold it more. Mary gives Twitch huge props for picking up the difficult dance so quickly, and comments more on Chelsie’s dress. What’s up with the costume comments? Grr. Nigel thinks Chelsie is always going to look good (and he comments on the damn dress, too), and knocks Twitch for broadcasting his next move on his face. As a pair, he thinks they did well.

Katee is up next with her solo, to Can’t Stop by Maroon 5. A jazzy contemporary, done well as always. I love her little babydoll top, too. Joshua does his solo after hers, a hip hop number done to Like That by Memphis Bleek. Good stuff.

Chelsie and Twitch, round two
Hip Hop - Tabitha and NapoleonControl by The Vitamin String Quartet

Crazed orchestra conductors fight for control of the stick in this routine as Twitch and Chelsie take the pimp spot of the evening. Dressed in modified tuxedos and with Chelsie’s hair teased to within an inch of its life, they “fight” over the stick in one of the stranger routines of the evening. It was cute, but I still have trouble believing Chelsie in a hip hop routine. I’m sure the judges will disagree.

Adam loves on Nap and Tab before giving his comments: Twitch, you were hot, and Chelsie, I want to find something you can’t do. Mary thinks Twitch has been stellar and outstanding in pretty much everything he’s done this season. She thinks Chelsie kept up with Twitch just fine, even though he was in his element. Nigel blathers on about how fantastic they both are.

And there we are. Next week is the finale, and it looks like it’s going to be a good one. Ready to vote for your favorite? Practice using that mute button to save your speakers from Mary’s incessant screeching and join us next week as we find out who the favorite dancer is. Til then!